13-Year-Old Taniya Begum Leads Fight Against Drug Abuse
At just 13 years old, Taniya Begum is making a big difference in the fight against drug abuse. As India’s Young Anti-Drug Advocate and Junior Ambassador for Drug-Free World of India, she is working hard to educate young people about the dangers of drugs. Her dedication to this cause is already having a strong impact on her community.
Taniya is deeply concerned about the rising number of young people falling into drug addiction. “Many people, especially the youth, are falling into the trap of drug addiction and destroying both their health and future,” she says. To tackle this issue, she started an awareness campaign called Find Out the Truth About Drugs, which educates people about the harmful effects of substance abuse.
Her passion for this cause started when she was just five years old. While other children were learning to read and write, Taniya was already paying close attention to news stories about drug addiction. These early experiences inspired her to take action and spread awareness about this growing problem.
Taniya’s father, Shaik Salauddin, has played a big role in shaping her interest in social work. Inspired by him, she has dedicated herself to fighting drug addiction. Now a Class 8 student at a private school in Abids, she actively speaks at schools and colleges, sharing her message with students. She has also distributed over 65,000 booklets explaining the dangers of drug use and conducts interactive sessions to make the issue more relatable to young people.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. She has received letters of appreciation from former President Ram Nath Kovind and former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, praising her work. Additionally, top officials like Sandeep Sandilya, Director of the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau, and Hyderabad City Police Commissioner C V Anand have recognized and applauded her contributions.
Taniya dreams of taking her mission to the highest level. She hopes to meet Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to push for drug awareness education in schools. “If children are educated about the harmful effects of drugs early on, they will be less likely to fall into addiction,” she explains.
Besides her anti-drug efforts, Taniya also supports other important causes. She promotes water conservation through the Hara Hai Toh Bhara Hai challenge and spreads awareness about road safety with her Selfie with Helmet, Papa campaign, encouraging people to wear helmets while riding bikes.
Her message is simple but powerful: “Drugs ruin lives. The impact is not limited to the addict; it affects everyone around them. My goal is to fight against drugs until I see a drug-free society.”
With her passion and determination, Taniya Begum is proving that age is no barrier to making a difference. She is on a mission to create a drug-free society, inspiring many young people to stay away from addiction and make better choices for their future.
